sheehan



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSht 1.

W. E. SHEEHAN.

ART OF KNIT-TING STOCKINGS, &c. No. 337,706. Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

W1 TJVEISSES .dttornay.

N. PETERS, Phalo-U'Ihognphcr, Wnhinglon, 0.6.

(NoModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. E. SHEEHAN.

ART OF KNITTING STOCKINGS, &0. No. 337,706. Patented Mar. 9,1886.

JJVVENTOR N. PETERS, Photo-Lithographer, Walhlngtom D. Cv

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

\VILLIAM E. SHEEHAN, OF LAOONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO EDGAR G. COVELL AND ELISHA S. ORAM, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

ART OF KNITTING STOCKINGS, &0.

BPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 337,706, dated March 9,1886.

Application filed March 19, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM E. SHEEHAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improved Art of Knitting Stockings and Hose; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying dr:.w1ngs, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents abottom view of a toe and foot of a stocking knit successively and joined together, the foothaving a previously knit heel piece connected therewith according to my invention; Fig. 2,

a longitudinal vertical section of the same;

Fig. 3, a bottom view of the toe and foot of a stocking knit together as one part, the foot having apreviously-knit heel-piece connected therewith according to my invention; Fig. 4, a longitudinal vertical section of the same; Fig. 5, a side view of the foot portion of aiinished stocking knit according to my invention.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my improved method of knitting stockings and hoisery I employ as a part thereof a mode of joining a previouslyknit web or piece adapted to form a heel to a stocking-web in the course of knitting, which is easily and quickly effected, and which leaves or may leave the connecting-line of the joining substantially as smooth and strong as any part of a knit web without seam. This joining of the heel-piece to the stocking-web in knitting is effected by running or picking upon the needles of the knitting-machine a course of stitches of a previously-knit heelpiece, the said joining-course of stitches of the knit heelpiece being taken one or more courses from the end of the heel-piece, doing this by running or picking stitch by stitch upon the successive needles, and then proceeding with the knitting of the new web, and either before or after the knitting of the new web raveling off the projecting courses of stitches of the previously-knit heel-piece between the said joining-eourse and the end of the heel-piece, thereby making a smooth con- Seiial l\'o. 150,451.

(No specimens.)

neetion of the heel-piece and new web without seam, or, instead of entirely raveling off the projecting courses, leaving them on, but preferably trimming them down to a narrow uniform width by shears or a trimming-machine.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate this joining of a knit heel-piece to a stocking-web. Thus E in the said figures represents a previously-knit heelpiece, and D the foot portion of a stockingweb having the heel-piece joined to it and knit forward from the line of joining. A course ofstitches of the heel-piece E as along the line a a'is run or picked upon the needles ofthe knitting machine, and then the new Web G, intended to form the leg of the stocking, is knit forward therefrom. Beyond thejoiningeourse a a of the heel-piece E a number of courses, bsay three or fourisleft forraveling off or trimmi ng, so that a perfect and complete course is always secured for thejoining, and' the course is not liable to become raveled in the act of running or picking upon the needles. The new portion G of the web is then knit forward from the joining-course, which becomes the connectingcourse between the heel-piece and stocking-web,and makes a close unbroken connection, scarcely distinguishable from an ordinary knit-course of stitches, and no real conneetingseam is formed thereby; but the projecting courses b may be left on the joined parts, or as many of them may be left after trimming them to a uniform width as may be desired. In either case the joiningcourse is as strong as any part of the stocking. It is not essential that thejoining-course a a should be run or picked upon the needles precisely stitch by stitch, since considerable freedom of running or picking on and departure from regularity will not militate against the completeness and strength of the connection; but it is preferable to join stitch by stitch, because in such case the work at the joining, being regular, looks better on close inspection.

Figs. 3 and 4 represent the same mode of joining the previously-knit heel-piece to the stocking-web.

My entire method of knitting stockings and hose, employing the above joining of a previously-knit heelpiece to astocking-web, is as follows: The toe and foot'parts CD of a stocking are knit up to the line forjoining on the heel of the stocking. The knitting-machine is then stopped, and upon a sufficient number of the needles-say one-half of them, more or fewer a previously-knit heel-piece, E, of any form, full-fashioned or otherwise, is run or picked, to join it to the web thus farknit, as above set forth, the joining-con rse of the heel-piece being, as before described, a few .courses fromv the upper end or edge thereof. The machine is then started again, and the entire leg orremainder of the stocking is knit thereby. Then the foot-web is cut away from the joiningcourse of the heel-piece, below the same, thereby making an opening in the foot-web to be occupied or covered by the heel-piece. The side edges of the heel-piece are then joined to the edge of the foot-web cut away from the web below the joining course of the heel-piece by handsewing, crocheting, seaming with asewing-machine, or any known or desired way of uniting two knit edges, one of these lines of connection being represented in Fig. 5, extending from g to h. It the heel-piece previously knit is not a fashioned piece, but a simple flat web, the two parts of the lower edge thereof, between the letters a and h, Fig. 5, are also sewed or otherwise joined together, the edges I being properly shaped to make a rounded heel.

If the web along this edge is not entirely cut open by this shaping, then of course only so much as is cut open will be sewed over tojoin the separate edges. This short extent of handwork or sewingmachine work is all that is required, separate from the knitting, by this process of knitting or making stockings.

In forming the stocking according to my invention the toe-piece may be formed separately and attached to the foot in like manner asjust described in the case of the heel-piece E, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 0 representing the toepiece joined to the foot D along the line a a with projecting courses b b. This, however, forms no part of my present invention.

I intend it to be understood that when I set forth the knitting of a leg-web upon a previously-knit heel-piece I intend also to embrace the reverse process of knitting the foot and joining a heel-piece upon a previously-knit legweb as the simple and exact equivalent of the first method set forth.

A stocking knit by my improved method is ting and finishing it, by dispensing with nearly all hand work or manipulation after it is taken from the knitting machine or machines.

I claim as my invention The method of knitting and completing a stocking, which consists in knitting'a toe and foot web to the linewhere the heel is to be joined to the main web, then taking a previously-knit heel-piece and running or picking a course of stitches thereof, taken one or more courses from the upper edge of the said heelpiece. upon a suificient number of the needles of the knitting-machine still holding the stitches of the main web, then knitting the legweb, then cutting across'the foot-web just below the linewhere the heel-piece is joined to the main web, then joining by any suitable means the side edges of the heel-piece to the edge of the foot web cut, from the main web and entirely closing the heel, substantially as herein specified.

WILLIAM E. SHEEHAN.

Witnesses: W. E. FOSTER, THOMAS E. FORD. 

